Tag: Blog

Friday Poetry: Amy Levy

Happy Friday!

I hope you all have some fantastic plans for the weekend.

My chosen poem today is by a new poet for me, Amy Levy. Amy Levy (10 November 1861 – 10 September 1889) was a British essayist, poet, and novelist best remembered for her literary gifts. She was also the first Jewish woman at Cambridge University. 

A London Plane-Tree

Green is the plane-tree in the square,
The other trees are brown;
They droop and pine for country air;
The plane-tree loves the town. 

Here, from my garret-pane, I mark
The plane-tree bud and blow,
Shed her recuperative bark,
And spread her shade below.

Among her branches, in and out,
The city breezes play;
The dun fog wraps her round about;
Above, the smoke curls grey.

Others the country take for choice,
And hold the town in scorn;
But she has listened to the voice
On city breezes borne.

Amy Levy

Happy Reading

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Mid Week Quote: Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Wednesday!

I hope everyone is having a good week so far.

My chosen quote today is by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) who was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist and poet.

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Reading

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WWW Wednesday: 8/06/2021

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The rules are answer the questions below and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you will read next?

Happy Wednesday!

I hope everyone is having a good week so far. I have been thoroughly getting into my research for my dissertation and I have finally started to get a plan worked out. I have also been trying to control our overgrown garden with varied results.

What I am Currently Reading

I started this yesterday and I am already nearly finished it. I do love the Maigret books. We have been watching the Maigret series with Rowan Atkinson playing Maigret this week, I just wish there were more episodes than four.

What I Have Recently Finished Reading

This is my favourite book of 2021 so far! Click the photo for the review.

What I Think I will Read Next

As usual no clue what I will read next, it all depends on my mood.

Please drop me a link with your WWW Wednesday and I will head over for a visit.

Happy Reading.

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you

The Weekly Brief

Happy Sunday!

I hope everyone has had a good weekend. I have just put in a Waterstones order so I am very happy at the prospect of new books being delivered.

Posts this Week

Currently Reading

Absolutely loving this book and I have ordered the next in the series.

Books Acquired

So there is my week in the blogging world.

Happy Reading

The Weekly Brief

Happy Sunday!

Apologies for the lateness in this post, I will be honest I got distracted making a disastrous carrot cake. Really not one of my best bakes.

Anyway, here is what I have been up to on the blog this week.

Posts this Week

Currently Reading

Thoroughly enjoying this so far.

No books acquired this week as I am waiting to see what books I might get for Christmas.

I hope everyone has had a good week reading and blogging and I hope everyone has a good run up to Christmas.

Happy Reading

Christmas Reading List 2020 Update

Hello!

I thought it was time for a Christmas reading list update. I am really racing through my Christmas books and I am thoroughly enjoying them and I have also added some extra ones into the mix as well.

I am currently reading Midwinter Murders by Agatha Christie and Christmas at Highclere by The Countess of Carnarvon.

Here are the books I have read so far…

Christmas is Murder by Val McDermid

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

The Lion Book of Christmas Poems by Sophie Piper

A Wedding in December by Sarah Morgan

A Perfect Cornish Christmas by Phillipa Ashley

A Midwinter Promise by Lulu Taylor

Christmas at Woolworths by Elaine Everest

Christmas Cakes and Mistletoe Nights by Carole Matthews

So the Christmas books I have left over are…

The Christmas reading is going really well and I can’t quite believe how quickly I am finishing books at the moment. Christmas at Highclere wasn’t originally on the reading list but I started browsing through it yesterday and I just got hooked.

Please drop me a comment with your Christmas reads as I would love to see what everyone is reading or planning to read over the festive period.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on my Winter 2020-2021 TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. For more info please check out Jana’s blog.

Happy Tuesday!

I have so many books on my TBR list but I will try and select ten books that I think I will read over the winter. I like to read a Jane Austen novel over the New Year and into January so that is one easy choice.

Here are my ten books…

  1. Things in Jars by Jess Kidd – This is one of my Willoughby Book Club books that I am very excited to read.
  2. Dissolution by C. J. Sansom – This is my buddy read with my bestie that I will be starting on the 1st of January
  3. The House on Vesper Sands by Paraie O’Donnell – Another Willoughby Book Club read
  4. Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline – My husband is currently reading this so I hope to read it in January once I have finished all my Christmas reading.
  5. Katheryn Howard: The Tainted Queen by Alison Weir – Been on my TBR for way too long and really want to read it soon.
  6. Lady Susan by Jane Austen – I have never actually read this so I think it is high time I sorted it.
  7. Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis – I just think this will be a good cosy read for the winter.
  8. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie – The start of reading more Agatha Christie challenge
  9. Olive, Mabel and Me by Andrew Cotter – I can’t wait to read this as I love the videos on youtube.
  10. Star Trek Discovery: Die Standing by John Jackson Miller – Another book that has been sat on my TBR for way too long.

So there is my TTT. Please drop me a link with your TTT and I will head over for a visit.

Happy Reading.

The Weekly Brief

Hello!

I hope everyone has had a good weekend so far. I had a lovely morning playing the organ for a church service and I got to play a few Christmas songs as well. It was very cold but it was so nice to have a bit of normality back.

Anyway, here is what I have been up to in the blog world.

Posts this Week

Books I am Currently Reading

Books Acquired this Week

No books acquired this week, I am being a good girl and not buying any more Christmas books. It is proving very difficult though.

So that is my week on the blog. I hope you have all had a good week blogging.

Happy Reading.

Top Ten Tuesday: The Nutcracker

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. For more info please check out Jana’s blog.

Hello!

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is a freebie but with a wintry festive feel. With this in mind I thought I would go for different copies of The Nutcracker by E. T. A. Hoffmann. Every December I read a different version of The Nutcracker. This can be translated by different people or just a different edition but my favourites are always the ones with pretty illustrations or like last year a pop up book!

So here we go…

First up is the one I have ready to read this year, the illustrations look really nice so I am looking forward to reading it.

This was last year’s read and I must admit I got very excited when I discovered it. It is absolutely stunning and I highly recommend it.

This is another beautiful edition but it is big so not easy to read for too long. This was 2018’s Christmas read.

I have the full set of these little Christmas books and I absolutely love them. This one was 2017’s.

Now you might notice this isn’t actually by Hoffmann but it is the story but it is Dumas’ adaptation and this is also the start of my tradition. I bought this when I went to the German Market in Birmingham with my then future husband and we took a trip to Waterstones and I picked this up and then read it through December 2016.

These next ones are future editions that I would one day like to buy and read.

So there is my Top Ten Tuesday and one of my Christmas traditions. Have you got any Christmas book traditions? Please drop me link to your Top Ten Tuesday and I will head over for a visit.

Happy Reading